KLX300 Idler Broke...Help

[WildBillAZ]

Ok the idler gear broke today on my 98 KLX300...

...I took it apart and one full and the better part of two other teeth are gone; my question is what is the best way to flush the case and oil sump knowing that I don't want to take the whole engine apart?

Note, when broke the engine did not start but I'm pretty sure the oil sloshing around as I got towed nearly 20 miles caused some of the pieces to go into the sump. I did remove the chain for towing.

Thanks in advance :-)

[Bill_P]

Sorry to hear about your idler, but you're very lucky the bike didn't start and grenade. I've heard of people using diesel to flush out the crankcase, but unless you're 100% confident you've found all the lost pieces, I'm afraid you're better off splitting the cases. Good luck.

[ram]

I went through this in early 2006. It sucks! I took off the R case cover to try a magnet in the holes to see if I could get lucky. No luck. Then took off the L cover to look on the flywheel magnet to hopefully see whether any teeth were stuck to the flywheel magnet. No luck. So I removed the head, and used the opportunity to replace the piston/rings, gaskets, and timing chain. Removed the motor from the frame (after taking the head and base cyl off) and stuck the case into a bath of diesel. Messy, but I ended up washing the crap from my case, and found the tooth in the bottom part of the screen on the R side. Consider myself VERY lucky.

Good luck w/ the hunt for pieces.

[Max Wedge]

Took mine apart on my 2000 today, one broke tooth, and a lot of play in the gear. Broken tooth is lower right corner of picture. Has Kawasaki fessed up to this yet?

Once I get this fixed, I hope Brewster is still in the ACR retiming business, because that is next on my list.

[WildBillAZ]

Adding worse news to bad...

...in spinning the shaft by hand to check the bearing, it felt very gritty and the bearing didn't spin. Closer inspection with a light showed the bearing race was cracked. I guess I'm still lucky it is only the bearing and not the case half.

If Brewster doesn't answer the PM on retiming the ACR, I think I'll go with an 03 or 04 exhaust cam.

Anyone change their idler gear on a regular basis to avoid this?

[klxd]

Check the mating gear on the back of the clutch basket too. And take a good look at the shaft.

[Max Wedge]

Brewster is still doing them!?

[brewster]

If Brewster doesn't answer the PM on retiming the ACR, I think I'll go with an 03 or 04 exhaust cam.

I don't think that I've received a PM from you, try again.

Ride on

Brewster

[wheels7]

hope yours aint as bad as mine was. Mine cost about 900 dollars in parts including the crankcase half idler gear kick start gear, shift shaft pin all new bearings in bottom end(optional) , new output shaft and im sure im missing something else. it was costly and timely put its all better now.

[Max Wedge]

Just shipped my cam to Bruce-- can't wait to get it back together, snow or no snow!!!?

[WildBillAZ]

Well after getting the whole thing apart...

Idler gear, kick gear, clutch gear/basket, output shaft, trans low gear, and the broken bearing...

...I'm still getting prices from my parts list...any ideas on where to get good prices?

Also thinking of getting cylinder done for new piston, valve seats recut and new guides and seals, rebuild the carb with jet kit...anything else I should consider since the engine is totally torn down???

[klxd]

Since TT doesn't support the KLX, at least it isn't listed in thier OEM store, try RonAyers.com. Treasure Coast Honda at honda-kawasaki.com was the cheapest I've found but you have to input part #'s for a quote which takes a day or two extra (or call). Make sure you get the p/n's off Kaw's web site or other site that has true Kaw #'s, not their own like Bike Bandit.

[Dave_Carl]

Well after getting the whole thing apart...

Idler gear, kick gear, clutch gear/basket, output shaft, trans low gear, and the broken bearing...

...I'm still getting prices from my parts list...any ideas on where to get good prices?

Also thinking of getting cylinder done for new piston, valve seats recut and new guides and seals, rebuild the carb with jet kit...anything else I should consider since the engine is totally torn down???

Try http://www.mrcycles.com/default.asp

I just purchased a new rear hub and associated hardware to rebuild the wheel on my son's TTR125L. They were $32.73 cheaper than Bike Bandit on the hub. I checked some parts for the KLX and they appear to 10-15% cheaper than Bike Bandit as well.

[Burnrider]

...in spinning the shaft by hand to check the bearing, it felt very gritty and the bearing didn't spin. Closer inspection with a light showed the bearing race was cracked. I guess I'm still lucky it is only the bearing and not the case half.

The bearing race is not a true race. Kawasaki takes a flat piece of bronze, bends it into a cylinder and presses it into the idler gear to give you the best sloppy fit available to kickstart the bike until the six month warranty expires. Combine that with a poor ACR position on the exhaust cam and the engine really doesn't have a chance. Let me update an idler gear bronze bushing diagram for measurements that minimize the shaft and end play.

One thing you have to check. The dimensions work on a 1998 and 1999 KLX. I'm not sure if it's the same as the 2000 KLX.

http://community.webshots.com/user/burnrider

The diagram is under 'KLX cam chain replacement'

[klxd]

I believe he was refering to the output shaft left side bearing. Doesn't make what you say about the idler bushing wrong though.

[WildBillAZ]

Yep, it was the bearing in the case half that shattered...

...but I'm pretty sure it was the sloppy fitting bronze bushing on the gear that started all the trouble.

Hey, thanks for posting the places to shop for parts.

[CrashTestDummyTraveler]

I've got a brand new output shaft on hand for when mine died.

Instead I ended up getting a whole tranny off ebay.

I used to have a listing on the TT classified, but I let it run out as nobody seemed interested.

The output shaft that I have is 13128-1213.

The bearing behind the idler wheel is a 6203 (a common number) (the -ZZ is double sheilded - less likely to let crap get into it)

Most of the bearings in the engine are standard bearings....some have a snap ring groove, you'll have to use OEM

counterbalance shaft - 6302

behind clutch - 6204

input shaft opposite end - 6203

behind sprocket - 6205 (there might also be a 6905 around there - the parts diagram is hard to read)

crank bearings - 6207 (L) 6306 ® I probably would use OEM here

Hope that helps some.

I might be willing to pull my old tranny apart for the gears you need.... it's out of a '94 KLX250R - I put a 300 tranny in and it dropped right in, so the 250 probably is the same.